


The Young King Of The Void

by InfamousRowe



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, Eventual violence, Guard Corvo, King Outsider, M/M, Magic is still a thing, Steampunk Vibes, Will eventually continue this, but The Outsider (aka The King) doesn’t control who it goes to, prince/king au, will add more tags as i continue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:53:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22859548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfamousRowe/pseuds/InfamousRowe
Summary: Corvo has lived a basic life for the most part. He grew up with magic in his veins and as a prodigy with a sword. He became a simple guard to the High King, trying to go unnoticed because of his magic. Everything seems to be working out fine until he somehow catches the eye of the High King. Now he has to figure out how he’s going to go back to being the ‘simple guard’ when the High King won’t leave him alone.
Relationships: Corvo Attano/The Outsider (Dishonored)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	The Young King Of The Void

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this post](https://deadlilmoon.tumblr.com/post/171245414790/what-do-u-think-about-a-princely-au-of-outsider) by [deadlilmoon](https://deadlilmoon.tumblr.com/) on tumblr who kindly allowed me to make this fic based on their drawing! Go check them out!

He has something in his hands. It was glowing with magic and whale oil on top of the more naturally occurring luster of precious metals, and its purpose was utterly incomprehensible. Metal and bone twisted into shapes that the eye couldn’t quite follow and he wasn’t even certain he was holding it with the right side up, but the High King ( _Grand Ruler of the Scattered Isles, Liege of Pandyssia, Monarch of Great And Terrible Magyks, Lord of the Eastern Seas, Archbishop of the Void, etc._ ) was busy speaking in terms far too technical and vocationally specific for Corvo to understand. Just like all of the other incomprehensible things that have been unceremoniously shoved into his hands since the beginning of this nonsensical... _thing_ that His Highness started about a month ago. ‘Thing’ has had a stunning amount of use in his vocabulary recently. He used to think of himself as—if not an intelligent man—at least an informed one, but there really are no other words that can be used to describe the _things_ in Corvo’s life lately.

It had started out physically small, though not any less extravagant. He had only been patrolling past the High King’s chambers because of a temporary assignment switch on Captain Curnow’s orders, when the King himself stopped in front of his path. His Highness thrust an ornate box into his hand and commanded him to open it with his characteristic lofty tone. Inside was a gem the size of a child's fist. It was a black opal that shone with deep blues, flashing indigos, and with a hint of dark purple. Corvo had never seen a gem this large in his life, and he was certain that one of this size and rarity would be able to buy a country sized chunk of land in the developing colonies on the Pandyssian continent. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with it. His Highness was inscrutable at the best of times and maybe he had simply wanted to show off. He was known for his pride and ostentatiousness so perhaps Corvo had been the first one he had seen after a new acquisition and had wanted to preen a bit. He gave the gem a vague compliment, he thinks he said something about impressive size and looking back wants to ram his head into a wall for it, and tried to close the box and hand it back. The High King shook his head and said something absurd about it being a gift, to which Corvo replied—in what had to be a fugue state—‘no.’ Then he pressed the box firmly into His Highness’s hands and left to finish his patrol without being dismissed.

What else was he supposed to _do_? He couldn’t _keep it_. The thing needed a vault with a door ten feet thick and just, no. No thanks. It was one of the King’s fits of strangeness, surely, and he wasn’t going to be handed a peerless gem and actually keep it. Maybe if he _had_ kept the thing back then, then this ridiculous venture wouldn’t have kept escalating.

His ‘temporary’ assignment switch became permanent. Captain Curnow seemed almost apologetic when he explained it was at the request of the High King and not a horrible prank of some kind. Corvo had been struck with the thought of just staggering his patrol to a time when the King was busy with other affairs, but hadn’t been capable of actually shirking his duties to such an extent and the thought was dismissed with a resigned sigh and a hint of regret. From then on a new ‘gift’ was presented to him every other day like clockwork as he patrolled past the King’s chambers. The ‘gifts’ got more and more complicated, gaudy, and downright strange. He kept refusing each one, handing them back and leaving as abruptly as the first time. It never seemed to deter the man, even as Corvo stopped responding with anything but almost the exact same rejections every time. It was just absurd. He hadn’t a clue as to why the High King was doing this. Corvo was just a regular guard! He had superior skills in combat, perhaps, but he wasn’t under the impression that the High King cared about physical prowess. He wasn’t even the only guard that had magic, though he hadn’t told anyone he had magic since coming to Dunwall and wasn’t planning on admitting to it any time soon either. There was no reason for His Highness to be showing such extravagant favor towards Corvo, and he was unsure how he was going to get the attention to stop.

Now, with the _thing_ cradled in his hand giving off a soft glow and humming with magic, Corvo couldn’t help but pause. It was strange to hold it, like it was singing to him with a voice that sounded like it came from dark and unfathomable depths. He wasn’t certain he was hearing it with his ears either, it was like the humming travelled through the bones in his hands and up into his brain. He was hefting the device and peering into the workings of it as he tried to find the source of the singing when he glanced at the High King’s face. His Highness had stopped talking at some point during Corvo’s inspection and he saw the faintest hint of some emotion pass over the otherwise impassive face. Perhaps it was surprise since it was the first time he hadn’t perfunctorily returned a gift.

“What does this _do_?” Corvo asked, voice low and rusty from general lack of use.

“It is a prototype I created,” the King answered in a voice that sounded less like a lecture from a professor. “It uses very delicate and intricate magic and the latest clockwork science to create a forward thrust underwater, among other things. It’s not entirely finished, however, and it is currently too weak to be of any use to anyone but a child.”

Corvo glanced back down at the prototype. “That actually sounds… interesting.” He hands it back with less emphasis than usual. “Thank you for showing me this.” With that he starts to leave as he has every time before, but the King speaks again.

“If you are interested in this, you could come and join me in my laboratory. I have many other more interesting devices that are considerably more impressive than this simple device.” The King says in a more familiar and haughty tone.

“No thank you, High King. I must finish my patrol, and I know almost nothing about magic or clockwork and would only be in your way.” He bows respectfully, for the first time since this has started happening, and continues on his route. As he turns the corner at the end of the hall he looks back and sees His Highness standing in the same place and looking down at the twist of metal and magic in his hands. Corvo didn’t pause his stride long enough to be sure but it seemed like the suggestion of a smile was on the King’s face.

Some people called him dense, but he was under the impression that the King wanted a friend.


End file.
